


In Plain Sight (Plz I Can't Be More Obvious)

by constantconfusion14



Series: MLB Oneshots [6]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, My OC aka the Poor Brown Eyed Dude, Reveal Fic, and then there was Adrichat for a second?, it's just fluff, oblivious kids being their oblivious selves, ofc it's not beta read, this entire thing is just chaotic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constantconfusion14/pseuds/constantconfusion14
Summary: The gears in Adrien’s mind ticked happily as they cranked out a terribly wonderful idea. His eyes glowed with mischief and he released a low chuckle as he drew nearer to his partner. “Alright then, if you’re so sure of yourself, why don’t we test your theory?”Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows and shifted her head to the side slightly, clearly wary of any idea coming from Chat accompanied by that particular facial expression. But, ultimately, curiosity won over. “What did you have in mind?”“Oh, just a little competition. I’ll jump down into an alley, de-transform, and walk down this street here. You will be tasked with picking me out of the crowd. It should be easy, given ‘how well you know me.’” He used air quotes to mock her further.****In which Ladybug's oblivious, Adrien's confused and they're both just dumb kids being dumb. Inspired by a comic by walkingonthestars (@hamsternamedmarinette).
Relationships: Marinette Dupain Cheng | Ladybug & Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Series: MLB Oneshots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765765
Comments: 48
Kudos: 229





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for clicking on this story to read it! It was entirely inspired by this comic made by walkingonthestars (@hamsternamedmarinette on tumblr): 
> 
> https://hamsternamedmarinette.tumblr.com/post/626191070973329408/dont-mind-me-im-just-drawing-a-joke-that-im
> 
> It's just so cute and they're so loveably dumb that I couldn't resist writing something that just quickly became its own monster. Enjoy!

Marinette scanned her eyes across the rooftop, desperately trying to see what she _knew_ was there. Or rather, _who_ she knew was there. For the nth time, she angrily cursed her lack of night vision under her breath while simultaneously cursing her partner. 

“Chat Noir, I know you’re here. I can see you.” She tried to fill her voice with false bravado. Maybe he wouldn’t call her bluff. 

“Ha! Nice try, LB. But you can’t see shit and we both know it.” His voice echoed back from somewhere. _But where exactly??_ Of course Chat got night vision, super hearing and a super sense of smell. What did Ladybug get? Nothing. Not even wings. It was a talk she’d had with Tikki before and would absolutely be having again in the future.

Ladybug squinted her eyes to block out the bright glare of lights streaming in from every centimeter of Paris. They were too bright to allow her eyes to properly adjust to the dark night yet not bright enough to illuminate the location of her partner on the rooftop. This obnoxious game of ‘hide and seek’ was one of Chat’s favorites to play at the end of patrols. He always made a point to beat Ladybug back to the rendezvous point and then hide, forcing her to find him and encourage his antics. 

But Ladybug was getting smart. He might’ve been wise enough to call her first bluff, but she had more than one trick up her sleeve. “Fine, then, Chaton. You win. I can’t find you. Luckily, I had nothing to report for patrol so we’re both free to go.” She pulled out her yo-yo and began spinning it, ready to take off. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you. Have a good evening,” she made her voice more dramatic and languid, seeing if he would take the bait. 

And since it was Chat Noir being threatened with losing recreational time with His Favorite Person **™,** he absolutely took the bait. 

Ladybug felt (more than saw) her surroundings shift. She suddenly knew there was a presence close behind her. “Please don’t leave!” Chat Noir whined almost directly in her left ear.

She expected him to be close, but not quite _that_ close. Acting purely out of instinct, Ladybug dropped her yo-yo and jumped away, letting loose a yelp as she did so. “AH! No! _Why_ do you do that??” She pulled her hands up to her chest, feeling her heart thumping powerfully in her ribcage and turned around to face him. “We need to put a bell on you or something because I’m getting real sick of your jump scares.”

Chat moved his weight to one hip and stood in front of her confidently. He used one hand to flick his bell, eliciting a soft jingle. “Already have one. I’m just that good.” He smirked in her face. 

Ladybug just deadpanned and scoffed back at him. 

He raised an eyebrow back at her. “What can I say? I’m stealthy like a cat, m’lady, hiding in plain sight.” 

Ladybug just rolled her eyes and walked over to the edge of the roof. She looked out at the city street below, lined with billboards and advertisements. 

Chat Noir followed her closely, an eternal grin of chaos pinned to his face. At the edge of the roof, he followed Ladybug’s gaze to see what she was looking at. Immediately, he was bombarded by his own face glaring back at him. There were countless Gabriel advertisements plastered over almost every surface below him. Chat suppressed a cringe, looking at himself on display so publicly (and another cringe at just how much his father spent on advertising, like _seriously_ ). But more than that, a thought unraveled in his mind and fell out of his mouth before he could think twice. 

“In fact, bugaboo, if you saw me without the mask, you’d never know it was me.” Confidence flooded out with his words because Ladybug had seen him many, many times without his mask and she was none the wiser. She’d rescued him, held him, soared across Paris with him and seemingly had _n_ o idea that he was her partner wearing different clothing. Heck, she was looking at him _right now_ and couldn’t figure it out. 

Ladybug snorted incredulously and crossed her arms. She turned around and eyed her partner. “Please, Kitty, if I saw you without that mask, I’d recognize you in an instant.” 

Now it was Chat’s turn to deadpan. He looked down at all of the Gabriel advertisements and then slowly turned his attention back to his partner. “M’lady I really don’t think that’s true.” She didn’t seem to notice what he was so obviously hinting at. 

She chuckled taunting back at him. “Uh...Chat, I know you probably better than I know anyone. I would totally recognize your civilian self if I ever met you.

The gears in Adrien’s mind ticked happily as they cranked out a terribly wonderful idea. His eyes glowed with mischief and he released a low chuckle as he drew nearer to his partner. “Alright then, if you’re so sure of yourself, why don’t we test your theory?”

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows and shifted her head to the side slightly, clearly wary of any idea coming from Chat accompanied by _that_ particular facial expression. But, ultimately, curiosity won over. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh, just a little competition. I’ll jump down into an alley, de-transform, and walk down this street here. You will be tasked with picking me out of the crowd. It should be easy, given ‘how well you know me.’” He used air quotes to mock her further. She opened her mouth to either defend herself or dispute the idea, but Chat held up his hand and cut her off. “If you can’t find me, then you have to go to the movies with me sometime this year. Not romantically, just as friends.”

Ladybug’s glare was a combination of mistrust and intrigue. “And if I manage to pick you out of the crowd…?”

Chat Noir thought for a moment, placing his finger on his chin as he spoke. “If you win, I uh...I won’t make a single joke or pun for a week.”

Almost before Chat finished his sentence, Ladybug had her hand stuck out towards him. “Make it a month and we have a deal.”

Normally, Adrien would’ve been insulted by just how much she appeared to hate his high-quality jokes. But if by some chance she actually won (which she wouldn’t, he _knew_ she wouldn’t) it just meant that Ladybug would find out his true identity. And if all he had to do was stop punning for a month in order to make a reveal happen...well, it was worth it in his book. 

Black met red as the two aggressively shook hands, accepting the conditions of the agreement. 

**************

Exactly 8 minutes and 43 seconds later, Adrien Agreste innocently strolled out of a Parisian shop, holding a small dish with passion fruit gelato. This night was turning out much, much better than he expected it to be. The shop emptied out to the exact street he and Ladybug had been watching just a few minutes before. Adrien casually flitted his eyes upwards and sneered when he saw the small red figure whipping her head back and forth on top of the roof. He chuckled at her disorientation, almost imagining her frustrated sighs. 

Alright, it was go time. 

Taking his own sweet time, Adrien sauntered down the street, thoroughly enjoying his snack for the evening. As much as he tried, it was impossible to wipe the shit-eating grin off his face. There was absolutely no way Ladybug was going to win this bet. He almost felt bad for scamming her like this, but the payoff was way better. He was already running upcoming movie releases through his mind, wondering what genre would best suit the duo. Would Ladybug want popcorn? Would they go in their superhero costumes, or as civilians in disguise? Or would they go as superheroes in disguise? Inwardly, he shrugged. Those were details they’d work out once he inevitably won the challenge. 

Giving into temptation again, Adrien casually glanced up at the roof again. He’d neared closer and now was directly underneath it, meaning he had to almost completely lay his head backwards in order to see her. And although it looked strange, he couldn’t help but try to get a peak at the perfect look of confusion that was probably gracing her face.

Except she wasn’t there. 

Adrien immediately stopped, causing the couple walking behind him to crash into his back. They grumpily walked around him as Adrien checked the other, surrounding rooftops. No one. He turned around and looked at the building’s he’d already passed and found that she wasn’t on any of those, either. 

Had she given up? A forfeit? That still meant he won...right?  
  
“Adrien?” A painfully familiar voice rang out behind him. The blonde almost gave himself whiplash as he swung around to face the speaker. 

His gelato slipped out of his hand and rocketed towards a brick alley a few meters away. Sadly, the half-eaten cup of passion fruit goodness crashed to the ground and seeped into the sidewalk. But Adrien was far too focused on the red and black superheroine standing in front of him. She looked nervous and unsure of herself but also...was she blushing?

Oh…. _shit_. 

Ladybug’s look of innocence instantly turned to anxiety. “Oh no! I’m so, so sorry!” She rushed over to pick up the cup he dropped. Strangely, she began scooping the melted gelato off the concrete and back into its container. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she muttered under her breath. 

Adrien just continued staring at her. 

She won the bet?? _How_ ? How had she figured it out? It’s not like Adrien had been particularly careful but...he hadn’t expected her to break her previous patterns of obliviousness and actually _figure it out!_

Ladybug stood up, holding the remains of the gelato. She reached over, pulled Adrien out of the flow of foot traffic and handed him back his paper cup. Then she looked away, tucking a loose hair behind her ear. 

“L-luh-luh-L-” _Nice. Nice first reaction, Adrien._ She stared at him strangely. “Ladybug?” he finally managed to spit out. He honestly expected her to be less composed when the reveal eventually happened. But her reaction (or lack thereof) was feeling a bit...anticlimactic. 

She gave him a sheepish smile and a half wave in response. “Hello. I apologize for scaring you and making you drop that,” she nodded towards his hand.

Adrien looked behind him. Surely, she must’ve been talking this casually to someone else. It was just an absolute coincidence that he’d also happened to drop something because of her sudden presence. She was talking to...no one. There was no one standing behind him. Just some very confused Parisians gaping at the two famous teenagers as they walked by. 

“Are...are you okay? Adrien?”

He turned back to her and forced his ‘model child’ suave facade to fall over him. “Uh...hey. Hello. Hi. Sorry. I just um...didn’t expect you to find me?” He cursed his own arm as it reached behind him and scratched the back of his neck. 

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows. “Find you…?” They shared matching looks of inner turmoil. But like the clouds parting to let the sun shine through, her facial features changed to make way for one of understanding. “Oohhhhhhhhh!” She smiled grandly now, even winking at the blonde in front of her. “I get it. You’re hiding, aren’t you? Did you sneak out or something?”

Haha…. _what?_ What was happening?!?

“Uh...yeah?” _Play along, just play along with it._ “You know me, always sneaking out for…” Adrien moved his eyes down to look at his poor, poor dessert. “Gelato?”

“Of course you are! Oh,” Ladybug pulled one hand up to cover her mouth and the other to place over her heart. She shook her head as if chiding herself. “Being a model, you probably don’t get much indulgent food, do you?”

“Well-”

She cut him off before he could continue. “And of course I ruined the one treat you actually do manage to get yourself. Here, let me make it up to you.” She reached out and took his hand, pulling him down the street back towards the gelato shop. 

Adrien was absolutely dumbfounded. Was she tricking him? She _had_ to have known he was Chat Noir, right? And now she was just pulling some sort of confusing, convoluted prank? That had to have been what was happening...right?

Ladybug pushed open the door to the shop with the confidence and determination that only came with being a superheroine. The teenage worker behind the counter jumped from the loud jingling of the bell at the top of the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw who was standing in the entrance. 

The girl’s face split into a smile. “No. Way. First Adrien Agreste comes in and now Ladybug? _With_ Adrien Agreste? Oh man, Jerome is gonna be _so pissed_ he called off tonight!” She eagerly put some gloves on, almost hopping up and down as she asked what she could get for each of them. 

Ladybug didn’t seem overly thrilled at her unnecessary public appearance, but she strolled up to the counter without hesitation. “Hello!” She smiled politely. “Can I get a large size of passion fruit gelato? And then a small of whatever else, surprise me.”

Adrien stared at the scene unfolding in front of him. He was seeing, but he was definitely not believing. For starters, Adrien had never, _ever_ had a large of anything in his life. Today was a day for firsts, apparently. Secondly, how did Ladybug know he liked passion fruit? Sure, it was what he’d dropped a few minutes ago, but how could she have possibly detected what flavor it was? Did Ladybug’s costume boost her sense of smell, too? Adrien hadn't noticed an improved nose that one time he'd used Ladybug's miraculous. Why hadn’t she ever mentioned it? What other abilities came with being a super ladybug??

Two cups were placed on the counter before Adrien could fully complete his thoughts. “Ok, that’ll be...€6.” The worker glanced up guilty. “Sorry, I’d give it to you for free, but my manager isn’t around and I don’t want to-”

“No, don’t worry! I’d much rather pay for it, thank you so much for helping us out.” Ladybug pulled up her yo-yo, swiped across the middle and stuck her hand in. When she pulled it out, a €50 bill came out with it. She handed it to the clerk who stared curiously but took it over to the cash register. 

Adrien gaped at her. €50?????? Why did she have so much money on her? Was that another one of Ladybug’s superpowers? Being lucky enough to pull money out of thin air? Or was she just loaded, like he was? Were the two heroes of Paris just rich kids running around saving the city in skin tight suits? Were they chosen because of their socio-economic status? Because if so, _that_ was an issue. Why would Master Fu-

“Here, sorry I made you throw your first one.” Ladybug was suddenly shoving a massive portion of gelato into his hands. Adrien accepted it but just continued staring, helplessly. This all was way above his pay grade. 

Ladybug tilted her head, a small movement he recognized immediately, and furrowed her eyebrows at him. “Seriously, are you okay?” She pulled him over gently and sat him down in one of the two tables located inside. The clerk looked at them for a second but then turned around and went into the back room for something. 

_Oh_ , she’d waived the fee to sit in and eat. That was nice. 

Adrien looked across the table to Ladybug who was still staring at him, worriedly. “I guess I’m just...confused?” He managed out. “This is kinda much stranger than I expected tonight to go.”

Ladybug’s shoulders relaxed and she prodded her strawberry(?) gelato with her spoon. “Yeah, sorry about that. I did kind of show up unannounced.” 

Adrien decided to stay quiet and urge her to continue. Because he wasn’t sure if she knew or if she didn’t know. He didn’t want to accidentally out himself just because she was being cryptic. But at the same time, he _knew_ that she had to have known, right? Why else would she have singled him out? The bet was to pick a civilian Chat Noir out of a crowd. And...technically, she’d done that. 

But did _she_ know that she’d done that???

“See,” Ladybug began, leaning forward as she lowered her voice to speak to him. “Chat Noir and I kinda had a bet tonight. That’s why I was on the sidewalk. But then I saw you and…” she teetered off for a second before finding the correct words. “Well, you were caught up in that akuma attack a few days ago, so I guess I just wanted to check in? Make sure you were okay?”

Adrien narrowed his eyes. Did that mean she knew? Or she didn’t know?

“Oh, that’s uh...that’s really nice of you my la- Ladybug. I’m good, yeah…” Awkward silence threatened to cut him again so he forced out more jumbled words to fill the quiet space between them. “But, if you don’t mind me asking, what was the bet between you and Chat Noir?”

Now she looked uncomfortable. “Well, I’m not sure I should tell you, but I trust you can keep a secret.” She winked at him. _But what did that mean????_ “Chat thinks I won’t be able to recognize him without the mask. I know that I can. So that’s the bet. He’s somewhere on this street and I have to find him in order to win. Kinda ridiculous, right?”

Adrien smiled painfully at her. “No, that kinda sounds fun actually. I’m glad you guys can relax sometimes, rather than always being stressed about akumas.”

_Did she really not know Chat Noir was staring her in the face?? Or was this all an elaborate ruse?_

The door chimed and a boy who appeared to be about their age walked in. His blonde hair was ruffled and messy and his frame was lanky and undeveloped. In a word: he looked like a mess. When he saw the duo sitting at the table, the teen did a double take. Adrien waved and smiled politely, but Ladybug just glared back at him. The boy’s brown eyes grew wide at her unyielding stare and he slowly backed out of the restaurant, returning to the street. The door chimed shut definitively. 

Adrien turned to look at the intimidating girl in front of him. “Was-was that-”

“No, I thought it might’ve been, but I’m convinced Chat’s eyes are actually green.”

Holy shit. She didn’t know.

She didn’t know Adrien was Chat Noir. 

This was...this was unbelievable. 

A laugh began to bubble out of Adrien's chest and he knew he was about to burst out laughing at the insanity of his current situation. But if he started laughing, he probably wouldn’t be able to stop and definitely wouldn’t be able to explain to Ladybug _why_ he was laughing. She’d absolutely think he was a rude jerk and would probably hate him forever. He couldn’t let himself laugh. 

But he also couldn’t stop himself from releasing the enormous bout of giggles threatening to spill out of him. _Why is everything always so much funnier when it’s a horrible time to laugh??_ So, Adrien used the best logic he could gather to come to the only reasonable solution. He quickly used his little, plastic spoon to shovel the majority of his gelato into his mouth to block the sound of laughter. 

In theory, it was a decent plan. Unfortunately, it was way, _way_ too much gelato at one time. His teeth, cheeks and upper palate almost immediately began screaming in protest at the cold temperature thrust upon it. Adrien made an awful gasping sound, opening his mouth slightly while desperately trying to keep all of the food inside of it. 

Ladybug picked up on his distress instantly. “Are you oka-”

The blonde turned in his chair to face away from Ladybug and made awful choking and hacking sounds as he coughed up his now very unappetizing mound of gelato right back into his paper cup. Ladybug quietly gasped at the scene but Adrien was much too committed at this point. He laid his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he forced the warmth to seep back into his nerves. After what felt like hours, he turned back around to Ladybug, consciously holding his cup below the table where she couldn’t see it. He coughed once before offering a short explanation. “Sorry, brain freeze.”

A tiny cackle rippled through his chest and Adrien knew Plagg was laughing at him. But the blonde didn’t blame his kwami. He’d practically just coughed up a gelato-hairball in front of his unattainable crush. 

And yet she _still_ didn’t recognize who he was. 

They stared at each other uncomfortably for a while, until they both spoke at once. “Alright!” Two voices echoed each other as they pushed themselves up from their chairs. 

“I really should be going, ya know, superhero stuff to do….”

“Yeah! Haha, I should go home before my father realizes I’m gone. Thanks for the,” He looked down at the sad looking cup in his hands. “Thanks for the gelato. Sorry I kind of uh…”

“Sorry I made you drop it in the first place! Aha, okay, love you, _I MEAN_ , see you, bye!” Ladybug waved frantically and rushed out of the gelato shop, back to the bustling street.

**************

Chat Noir sat on the side of the rooftop where he’d made the bet with Ladybug an hour earlier. It had been about 30 minutes since the awful gelato shop disaster and she had still yet to return to their rendezvous point. Honestly, she probably went home. That had been Adrien’s first thought after she’d left. But going home would just mean being taunted endlessly by Plagg about how awful the date had gone. 

Chat narrowed his eyes. Was that a date? He blushed slightly at the thought but then immediately cringed as if the memory was painful. 

No. He would _not_ let that count as a date. Certainly not his first date with Ladybug. And certainly not his first date of all time. 

A soft patter of footsteps sounded from behind him and Chat Noir whipped around to find the source. Instantly, he recognized a dejected-looking Ladybug. Her shoulders slightly slumped, but her hands crossed against her chest clearly gave off more of a defensive demeanor than anything else. 

Chat Noir looked up at her. “Well-”

“You win,” she pouted, her bottom lip protruding ever so slight. Adrien initially smiled gently at the sight (she was _so cute_!) but then forced a more Chat Noir-ish grin on to his face. 

“I did?” He asked, but already knew the answer. 

Ladybug looked away, clearly disappointed in her inability to find him for the second time that night. “Yes, you did, okay? I have no idea who you are or what you look like outside the costume and admit that you’re really good at hiding in plain sight.” And although it was exactly what he’d wanted to hear, a sense of dread draped over Adrien like a weighted blanket. 

Ladybug’s (adorable) pout was awfully misplaced and had absolutely no right to be on her face. It might’ve been just a stupid bet but Adrien knew how competitive Ladybug could be. He knew how much she hated losing. And now that she’d lost to him, she was clearly upset. 

That was something Chat Noir simply could not let happen. 

He sighed slightly before giving into himself and speaking up for her attention. “Ya know, I was going to say the same thing.”

Her eyes shot up from the ground to look at his, questioning what he meant. 

“About the ‘you winning’ thing, not about hiding in plain sight.” He continued on.

“What?” She tested. 

“I mean, you won. Or, I thought you did. You made really intense eye contact with me and I was sure you knew who I was.”

Ladybug tilted her head to the side, still wary of his words. “I-I did?”

Chat huffed. “Yeah, at the gelato shop? Or was that a coincidence?”

Adrien could physically see the gears in her head turning. But they must’ve clicked into place because a small smirk cracked her previously crestfallen appearance. “That was _you?_ ” She questioned, still smiling. “But, your eyes-“

“Are actually brown,” he falsely admitted. Even though it physically pained him to say it (his eyes were the matching set to his mothers’ after all) the aura of happiness he felt radiating off of Ladybug was certainly worth the fib. 

She still narrowed her eyes at him though, not letting herself believe it fully. “But..when you were Mister Bug, your eyes were still green. Tikki doesn’t change my eye color.”

Now she was _really_ just being mean and putting him on the spot. Adrien had to think quickly to form a coherent response. “Well, my mother’s eyes were- _are!_ My mother’s eyes _are_ green,” he eyed Ladybug for a moment, begging that she hadn’t caught his slip up. “So I consciously change my eye color when I transform. It’s uh, kinda my way of honoring her?” It came out as more of a question, but the main idea was there. 

For a moment, Ladybug eyed him sadly, clearly sharing her sympathy with him. But almost as quickly, she moved on, being able to sense his unwillingness to discuss the subject. Instead, her tiny smirk split into a full out smile and she cheered quietly to herself. 

“I _knew_ that was you! Haha! Betcha didn’t think I’d actually be able to find you, did ya?”

Chat Noir just closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. No matter what happened in his life, he would always love Ladybug with everything he had. 

“No, m’lady. I honestly didn’t expect you to figure it out.” That wasn’t a lie, technically. He admired her for a moment more before shifting back around and allowing his feet to dangle off the edge of the roof. The street below was still bustling with people, but by this time, most everyone was intoxicated to at least some degree. Ladybug hummed as she walked up and took a seat beside him. 

“I would’ve said something more, but I guess your eye color really threw me off. Besides, it’s for the best this way. I may know what you look like, but if anyone asked me, I couldn’t tell them who you are. And that’s definitely safer.”

Chat Noir snorted at the irony of it all. “Well, yeah, you might’ve had the chance to come over and talk to me if you hadn’t been so enraptured by Mr. Pretty Boy sitting at that table with you.”

Ladybug reached over and slapped his arm, but to Chat’s surprise, it was much harder than her normal taps of affection. This one actually left his arm stinging a little bit. “Hey, Adrien is a nice person and has helped us out in multiple battles, so you leave him out of this. Plus, he’s been through a lot. He deserved some gelato and a visit from a superheroine tonight.”

Upon hearing her defense of him, Chat looked over at her quizzically. “Well, well, well, m’lady. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like this boy or something.”

He’d meant it platonically. Adrien was fairly certain Ladybug liked his civilian self as a person (You don’t buy someone gelato if you don’t like them, right? That’s not just a thing people do to be polite?). But almost as soon as the words fell off his tongue, Ladybug looked down at her hands in her lap and a redness bloomed from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her tiny ears. 

When she finally looked back up at Chat, she was suppressing a smile. Then she slapped him again in the arm. “Okay, fine. I admit it. He’s a Pretty Boy. But he’s also super kind and nice. I may or may not have a tiny sweet spot for him.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow at her confession. Ladybug had a soft spot for him? For civilian him?? It wasn’t entirely shocking, given how she tended to act around him compared to other people. But, hearing her announce it aloud warmed his insides like a boiling cup of hot chocolate. 

Was he going to let her know that? Absolutely not. 

“Well, I guess that makes two of us, then.” He smirked back at her. 

Now she raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah? You’ve got the hots for Adrien Agreste?”

He shrugged his shoulders and gestured to the endless advertisements below them. “I mean, who doesn’t? Look at him. Utter perfection. Couldn’t do better if I tried.”

Ladybug snorted at him. “I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that, but I can say you’ve got good taste.”

Chat released the most love-sick sigh he could manage, throwing a hand over his forehead. “Oh, but the story of our potential love is such a tragic one. Despite our feelings for one another, I’m afraid I shan't ever be able to see him, for his father rarely allows him to leave his palace.” Chat changed his facial expression to a smirk and winked at Ladybug before saying. “You might even say he’s under house- _Agreste_.”

“Ugh! Chat!” She playfully pushed him away. “Not only was that absolutely awful, but you’re not allowed to make puns anymore, remember? Not for a full month.”

He pouted, given her his best kitty-cat eyes and even sniffling a little for dramatic effect. 

For a moment she looked like she was about to give in, but strengthened her defenses at the last second. “Nope! I won the bet! Now you have to deal with the consequences of being cocky.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. A deal’s a deal. I’ll do my best to uphold my end, but no promises. A few god-tiered jokes might slip out from time to time.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Ladybug chuckled at him. 

They sat there for a while, the two protectors of Paris watching over their beloved city and simply enjoying each other’s presence. Eventually, Ladybug stood and stepped down onto the roof. She pushed her arms in the air, making a small grimace as she stretched. Then she bended backwards, eliciting a series of cracks that ran up her back. She sighed in relief. Chat made a gagging sound out of disgust but she just laughed and offered him a hand to pull him to his feet as well. 

“Ya know, Chat,” She began hesitantly. “It’s actually been a while since I was able to go to the movies with a friend.”

He watched her suspiciously. “Okay…?”

“And I’m just saying...if you ever _want_ to go see something with me, I wouldn’t be totally opposed to it.”

Chat couldn’t stop a grin from sneaking its way onto his face. “Are you saying yes to my movie proposal?”

Ladybug smirked back at him. “Only if you find a good movie. But yes.”

Adrien pumped his fist and released a yelp of joy. “Ladybug! That’s awesome! I’m going to find your favorite movie of all time, I promise. It’ll have it all, action, thrills, romance, comedy. Everything.”

Ladybug shook her head happily. “Whatever you say, Chaton.”

***************

And although Ladybug 'officially’ won the bet, when an Autumn-themed akuma attacked the very next day, she simply pretended not to hear when Chat yelled out “Why don’t you make like a tree and _leaf_?”

A week after that, the duo (dressed in awful disguises over their superhero suits) did manage to sneak into a theatre unnoticed. The movie Chat had decided on was absolutely awful, but they’d laughed with each other the entire time. 

So in the end, it appeared that they’d both won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the garbage ending but I didn't know how to cut it off. Oh, also, Marinette definitely stores her birthday money in her Ladybug purse for emergencies rather than actually spending it because she's pure. And, of course, buying Adrien gelato absolutely constitutes as an emergency. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!! Find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14


	2. The Adventures of Marinette and That Poor, Poor Brown Eyed Dude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, *now* this work is complete. Because I couldn't just leave a perfect opportunity for an awful reveal and not make it happen. 
> 
> Major shoutout to Emsylcatac, Princess_Twilight_84, Bugabisous and everyone who left a comment for inspiring me to add on to this disaster of a fic lol. Seriously, everyone who left a comment or kudos has been my favorite person in the world today. Y'all are great so here, enjoy Absolute Chaos Part 2: Electric Bugaloo.

The hustle and bustle of the metro was something Marinette had long ago become accustomed to, thanks to being born and raised in Paris. She’d grown used to the crowds of people, the jostling train and the unspoken etiquette all passengers were expected to follow. Not one to break the rules, Marinette followed them to a T. 

Only on very rare occasions did she dare go against the instinct engrained in her mind. If she ever did, she was usually acting out due to the threat of an akuma (whether it be necessary for her to yell out a danger to someone or push past them rudely to find a place to transform). Very, very rarely did she march to the beat of her own drum for other, unrelated reasons. 

It appeared today was one of those rare times. 

She and Alya were seated in their métro car, headed towards the ice rink for an afternoon of ice skating with the girls. They were about half way through their commute when the train abruptly slowed for a stop, knocking inexperienced tourists over with the sudden force of the breaks. A few strangers approached the door, exiting once they opened and allowing plenty of space for new passengers to refill. 

As Alya typed away on her phone, answering questions and comments on her blog, Marinette scanned her eyes across the newcomers. Being the part-time savior of Paris, Marinette found herself becoming increasingly more aware of faces in the crowd. She now easily recognized Baby August’s mother and the man dressed in yellow who often accompanied her. Marinette also saw a young couple with deep, olive Italian skin and, of course, Mr. Ramier. All people she’d saved in the past and all people she found herself happy to recognize in non-life threatening situations. 

As the warning bells dinged and people backed away from the doors, one teenager decided to risk it all, throwing caution to the wind as he jumped through the entrance moments before it closed on him. Marinette watched him as he sheepishly apologized to the people he bumped into and then sat down on the seats across from her. 

Marinette pursed her lips at the scene. It appeared this was someone she wasn’t familiar with. His fluffy, blonde hair was clearly uncombed and his wrinkled shirt gave off a very specific vibe. The cheap headphones placed in his ears had multiple spots where the frayed wires were peaking through. His shoes were clearly older and Marinette easily picked out the spots that took the brunt of each footstep. She watched him intently as he pulled out his phone, selected a specific song, and relaxed back into his seat. 

It’s when he looked up and made accidental eye contact with Marinette that she finally recognized who she was staring at. His mischievous, brown eyes glinted back at her and he sent an awkward, half-wave before looking back down to his phone. 

She’d only seen him once, for a short moment, but Marinette _knew_ those brown eyes. His face just screamed that he was about to get into trouble and his overall state of general disaster could only be that of someone who was very familiar with the idea of destruction. 

Marinette was looking at civilian Chat Noir. There was no doubt in her mind. 

Her first instinct was to pour over his appearance, committing every detail to memory. Yeah, he was her partner and she saw him on almost a daily basis. But she never saw him like _this_. A blush rushed over her face as she compared it to seeing someone in their swimsuit for the first time. It was a vulnerable moment. 

More importantly though, it was a moment where _she_ had full advantage of the situation. Chat had no idea that Ladybug was sitting a mere meters from him. He had no idea she was committing his unmasked face to memory and comparing his dirty blonde hair to the bright, golden it was when he was transformed. 

The smart thing would’ve been to go about her day and ignore him entirely. But that wasn’t the fun option.

If Chat had taught Ladybug anything, it was to not take a single moment for granted. It was easy to tell that Chat Noir simply enjoyed living. A sort of Carpe Diem sort of lifestyle. So Marinette decided to take a page out of his book and live life on the wild side. The added bonus was that she would be bothering her beloved partner and there was nothing he could do about it. 

Marinette dawned a look that belonged to those up to no good and stood up from her seat. Alya gave her a questioning glance at the sudden movement, but Marinette just murmured “Going to see an old friend, I’ll be right back,” and walked across the aisle. 

Without asking permission, Marinette plopped down in the seat right next to Chat Noir. She straightened her back, crossed her legs and rested her hands on top of her knees confidently. Chat gave her a confused glance before looking back down at his phone and scooting to the far end of his seat. 

Marinette inwardly chuckled. She always had so much fun making Chat uncomfortable. This was just a bonus because now she was doing it without the mask. Thus making him _double_ uncomfortable. 

Despite his obvious body language, Marinette leaned closer to him. He gave her a more fearful look now and leaned away as much as his seat would allow him. Instead of backing off, Marinette just grinned at him and said the most Chat-Noir thing she could think of. “It’s a purrrfect day for a train ride, don’t you think….milord?” She grimaced at how awful the nickname sounded compared to Chat’s smooth ‘milady’. 

His eyes just widened and it was now pretty obvious the boy was scared of Marinette. “Uh, sure, haha…”

His voice was lower and almost scratchy, not at all what she was used to hearing in the midst of battles. That must’ve been another element Plagg altered when Chat transformed. Marinette was really starting to think her superhero disguise was much too simplistic. 

Regardless of the unexpected voice, Marinette smirked back at her partner. “I’m just saying, it’s a purr-ty big coincidence that I ran into you today. It’s always nice to see a furr-miliar face.” A wink accompanied her words, like a cherry on top of a sundae. 

Although it shouldn’t have been possible, the boy leaned further away, nodding despite the look of horror on his face. Before he had the chance to say anything, the train jolted to a halt and the door opened with a ding. Chat immediately jumped to his feet and ran off the train, quickly disappearing in the crowds. Marinette watched him, smiling to herself at just how flustered he got. It was never that easy in the costume. 

Oh yeah. This was a new type of weapon. 

**************

“Ugh, where is that stupid cat?” Ladybug slammed her bugphone closed after multiple failed attempts at reaching her partner. She’d already been thrown into multiple buildings and whipped around the city thanks to the akuma of the day. Apparently whoever the unfortunate soul was, they’d failed their pilot’s licensing test. Now, they thoroughly enjoyed making the poor civilians of Paris take flight instead of planes. It was becoming impossible to fight the akumatized person while simultaneously catching the innocent Parisians from the sky. Thus the need for a partner.

An impossibly high-pitched screaming began crescendoing suddenly and Ladybug looked around for the source. Incoming above her was yet another victim of Departure. Ladybug instantly threw her yo-yo, creating a net above the street that perfectly caught the kid. She reached up to help him down safely and was met with familiar brown eyes.

Ladybug’s face exploded with emotion. She rushed forward and hugged the teenager as soon as he was standing on his own two legs. “Thank goodness you’re okay!” Then she pulled back to scold him. “I don’t know _what_ you were doing so close to an akuma without your suit on, but it was _not_ a good idea.”

The boy looked at her skeptically. “Um...what?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “We’ll talk about it later then. For now, I need you to go find somewhere to transform so you can help me. It’s gonna take both of us today.”

He stared at her, unmoving for a few seconds more. “Wait...do you think-”

“Oh, just _go!”_ Ladybug pushed him towards an alley and then ran back into the street to the sounds of more Parisians falling from the sky. 

Moments later, a black figure leaped off a roof, snagging a woman from freefall and returning her safely to the ground. He made sure she was okay before turning his attention to Ladybug. “My, my. Looks like this akuma’s really _taking off_. Hawkmoth’s reaching _new heights_ with his ideas nowadays.”

Ladybug stared at him sourly before waving off his comment. “Yeah, yeah. Pun all you want. But you haven’t evaded our conversation from before.”

Chat Noir stared at his lady, raising one eyebrow and hosting a blank look. “Conversation? What conversation?”

Ladybug just scoffed. Now that a transformed Chat was here, they could finally focus on more than one task at a time. “You’re insufferable,” was all she replied, a grin creeping across her face before she threw her yo-yo and zipped towards the akuma. 

Although confused, Chat followed her blindly into the midst of danger.

**************

Adrien narrowed his eyes at his computer as Plagg cackled uncontrollably behind him. 

“I _told_ you this was going to come back to bite you! But noooooo, of course not! Why would you take advice from an immortal god? Now? Now you’re-you’re stuck with this mess-” The kwami couldn’t finish his sentence before crumbling into another fit of giggles. 

“Plagg, it’s not funny. I gotta find a way to fix this somehow.” Adrien aggressively pushed his hand across his face and then ran it through his hair. This had gotten out of hand. 

Ladybug’s ‘conversation’ from a week ago was suddenly making a lot more sense now that Alya had published her latest article titled: “Ladybug Thinks I’m Chat Noir And I Don’t Know What To Do About It.” The notification on his phone had immediately caught Adrien’s attention because who could possibly be posing as Chat Noir other than him?

But then he saw the face of the subject of the article. And it all fell into place. 

The article was an interview between the kid and Alya. Throughout it, the Not-Chat Noir detailed every strange interaction he’d had with Ladybug. Beginning with the stare down in the gelato shop, he explained that her eye contact was uncanny. He hadn’t known what it meant until last week. Apparently, Ladybug had saved him and been very clear about letting him find a place to transform. Except he couldn’t. Because he was a civilian. 

A few days later, an akuma threw Ladybug into the boy’s martial arts practice studio. He’d tried to run away with the other people in the building, but Ladybug held him back for a second. Apparently she’d commented on how it made sense that he was such a good fighter in battles if he had official martial arts training. Then she’d pushed him away again, telling him to go transform somewhere quickly. 

Both times, Chat Noir showed up soon after.

The public was _devouring_ the story, commenting on the hilarity of the entire situation. Half of the comments were people supporting the Not-Chat Noir (who’s name remained off-record) and the other half were conspiracy theorists. Apparently, it didn’t make sense to go public with that type of story unless the kid was actually Chat Noir, trying to throw everyone off his tail. Because in the end, there was a major, unanswered question: Why him? Why had Ladybug singled out this poor kid as the civilian identity of her partner? It didn’t make sense.

But to one person, it made perfect sense. Because Adrien knew she’d singled the kid out because the real Chat Noir had told her to. 

“Ugh, this is awful. How could I possibly have known this was going to happen? I was just trying to be nice and let her win the bet! Now this kid has his face posted all over the internet, clearly making himself a target. And worst of all, I have no idea how to explain any of this to Ladybug.” Adrien banged his head against his desk, hoping to jostle an idea out of his brain.

Plagg, being an eternal being of chaos, only had the worst type of advice to offer his chosen. “Just play along with it. Tell Ladybug you thought someone saw her talking to you last time and you were just trying to avoid suspicion.”

Adrien, having lived a sheltered life that resulted in a poor sense of social skills, decided to listen to his kwami and heed the idea. Because, yeah. That _was_ pretty clever. 

*************

Ladybug threw her yo-yo with all her might, watching it wrap around the blonde boy on the street below her. She tugged on it, ripping the teen out of danger mere seconds before the akuma snatched him off the ground. His body crashed into Ladybug’s unceremoniously and she landed on top of him, laying on the roof. 

Marinette pushed herself off immediately to give him some space, but then leaned over and offered him a hand to get up. “Why must you always get yourself into such horrible situations, Chaton.”

The boy smacked her arm away and stood on his own, angrily grumbling as he did so. “That is _it_ Ladybug!” Marinette shied away from his sudden outburst. “My name is Chase Lavelle and I am not, nor have I ever been Chat Noir. I’m sick of being targeted by Hawkmoth’s minions because he thinks I’m one of his arch-enemies! I can’t walk into school without someone putting a pair of black animal ears on my head. My parents bought cat food the other day and we don’t even have a cat. Even strangers are making cat puns at me now. Do you realize how uncomfortable that is??” He crossed his arms as he spoke to the heroine. 

Ladybug’s eyes widened. She understood the need for him to pretend like he didn’t know her (he must’ve noticed the press was watching them) but he _absolutely_ should not have told her his name. It could’ve been a fake one, but to be honest, it was hard to tell if he was lying at all at the moment. She leaned closer to him, holding up her hands to shush him. “Shhh! We talked about this, remember? No names, not even fake names in case they somehow give us away. We need to remain anonymous from each other.” Ladybug looked around, trying to find any news crews creeping on any nearby roofs. She didn’t see anything.

The blonde stared at her, exasperatedly. “Are you serious. Ms. Whoever you are, I don’t know what lies your partner has been feeding you, but I. Am. Not. Chat Noir. Okay? So please, just tell the public I’m not him and get Hawkmoth to leave me alone. I’m really not interested in almost getting killed on a daily basis.” 

Ladybug rolled her eyes at him. “Pfft. Yeah, okay. You can act like you don’t love it but I know you do. Now, seriously, transform. You’re going to be a lot more useful as Chat than as a civilian. Do you need me to take you somewhere not so out in the open?”

The boy threw his hands behind his head, frustratedly gripping his hair. His voice rose to a yell and boomed off the roof. “I _can’t_ transform because I AM NOT A SUPERHERO! Look!” He held out both hands to her. “Look, no ring! There’s nothing on my finger or person that even remotely looks like jewelry, okay? I have no miraculous, meaning I’m not Chat Noir, meaning _I can’t transform!_ So please, I am begging you, please leave me out of all of this.”

For the first time since meeting him, Marinette looked at his hands rather than his face. And where she fully expected to find a ring on his finger, there was nothing. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. The akuma landed on the roof next to them, holding a leash on a stick, like a dog catcher. 

“It doesn’t matter if you’re transformed or not, Chat Noir! I’ll still catch you like the stray you are _and_ I’ll take your miraculous!” She whipped her weapon towards the duo, the lasso portion extending towards them as if it had a mind of its own. Ladybug barely had time to think of how bad of a situation this was before a figure appeared from nowhere and knocked the leash to the side. It instantly returned to a more regular size within its wielder’s hand. 

Chat Noir stood confidently in front of Ladybug and Chase, smirking at the akuma victim. “Sorry to break it to you, but I’m not a big fan of leashes. I prefer to roam around freely.”

Surprisingly, the akuma made no further attacks against him. A butterfly mask appeared over her eyes as she stared back and forth between Chat and the other blonde teenager on the roof. Adrien relaxed his attack stance and glanced at exactly who was behind him for the first time since jumping on the roof. 

Where he expected to see just Ladybug, he found another person standing next to her. A person who’s face had been all over TV for the past few weeks. The pitiful kid was practically a celebrity ever since the city of Paris had come to the conclusion that he was, indeed, Chat Noir unmasked. 

Except now it was pretty clear he wasn’t. 

Ladybug blinked at him. “Ch-Chat Noir?”  
  
“HA!” The boy next to her laughed, jumping up and down and pointing at the black clad hero in front of him. “See? I’m not-I’m not him! He’s not me!!”

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and began swinging it defensively beside her. She directed her attention towards Adrien. “Are-are you an amok?” Then she called out louder, addressing the surrounding area. “Mayura! Come out from hiding! I know this is your doing!”

Chase threw himself to the ground. “ _Oh my GOD!_ ”

Adrien grimaced at the scene. This was definitely his fault and he needed to rectify it. Unfortunately, the middle of an akuma attack was not the best place to deal with something of this caliber. 

“No! Ladybug, it’s me. Seriously, no amok. And yes, I know this is exactly what you’d expect an amok to say but I promise I’m human. I’m your real partner, Ladybug and always have been. A few weeks ago, I kinda made a bad decision and-” he gestured to Chase, who was kneeling on the ground. “He kinda took the fall for it. I promise I’ll explain everything _after_ we save this person from Hawkmoth. Deal?”

Ladybug eyed him wearily. “Tell me something only Chat Noir would know.”

Adrien wracked his brain before coming up with the perfect shared experience between them. “OH! Remember when we went to that movie not too long ago and I tried to impress you by snorting a piece of popcorn and then spitting it out of my mouth-”

Ladybug was grimacing as if in physical pain. “Okay! Okay, okay. You’re the real Chat Noir. I believe you. Just please don’t make me relive that.”

He smiled slyly before turning his attention back to the villain and calling over his shoulder to Ladybug. “Get the fake me out of here! I’ll handle this until you come back!”

The akuma victim, who insisted on calling themselves The CatNapper (Adrien saw the intent behind the name, but it really was just missing the mark for him), was surprisingly easy to over power. Within minutes, Ladybug and Chat Noir had her pinned to the roof, thanks to a 152 pack of crayons, a built in crayon sharpener, and a well-placed cataclysm. Apparently the realization that Chase Lavelle was _not_ Chat Noir was surprising enough to practically cripple Hawkmoth for the day. Adrien snickered. That’s what the old man got for being so cocky. 

As soon as the ‘superhero duties’ had been attended to, Ladybug tightly grabbed Chat’s arm and zipped away from the scene. The sudden force felt as though it were enough to tear his shoulder from his socket, but luckily Plagg’s power in the suit prevented him from being harmed in pretty much any way. Judging by the look on Ladybug’s face, that ability was about to come in handy. 

She finally landed on one of the highest beams of the Eiffel tower just as the sun was fully dipping into the horizon. Adrien rubbed his shoulder, chuckling to break the tension. But one look from Ladybug was more than enough to silence him completely. 

“Alright, spill. What the hell kind of situation did you get us both into? And why? I’m going to need a pretty solid reasoning.”

Chat bit his lip, squinting his eyes as he desperately tried to put the situation into words without blowing his entire identity. Turns out, it was _not_ easy. 

Both of their miraculouses chimed angrily, wanting to be released. 

“Okay, well, you know that bet we had a few weeks ago?”

Ladybug just crossed her arms, expecting him to continue without a response from her. 

Adrien chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I actually won that. Well, maybe not. I don’t know. It depends on the specific terms of the agreement-”

Their jewels beeped again, rushing his explanation. “Okay, okay, this is a lot more complicated than I think I have time to explain right now. But, that kid, Chase? Is that his name? Yeah, that’s not me. I’m someone different.”

“Yeah, I think I got that part by now.” Sass angrily rolled off Ladybug’s tongue. “What I want to know is why.”

Why couldn’t Adrien just do one nice thing for Ladybug without it becoming a city-wide phenomenon? All he wanted was to see her smile. But no. Apparently that was asking way too much. “Ugh, okay, I told you he was me because I’m a sucker and wanted you to think you’d won the bet.” 

Ladybug eyed him but still remained silent, so he continued. “Honestly, I thought it was a harmless lie but then you kept running into that dude and really, I _have_ to have the power of bad luck or something because what are the chances of you seeing him that many times, telling him to go transform and then me showing up literally seconds later, like really, that’s just a bunch of the-universe-really-hates-me type of bullshit-” Adrien was fully aware of the word vomit falling out of his mouth but this whole thing had him would up like gyroscope and he just couldn’t stop spinning once Ladybug pulled the string.

“-And then he published that article with Alya and _why would he do that_ and I was going to do something and tell you I promise but then Plagg told me not to and I’m just now realizing he may or may not have had my best interest in mind but I trust him and he just _loves_ to take advantage of how gullible I am but it’s not my fault I’m sheltered and I know this whole thing is absolutely awful and you’re furious at me and I’ll probably have to give you back my miraculous-”

Ladybug stepped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. Adrien hadn’t even noticed her scowl melting away until it was fully replaced with a look of concern. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Chaton slow down. I’m not mad at you, I promise. Just take a deep breath with me.”

Chat Noir did as he was told, following the breathing patterns Ladybug demonstrated for him. 

“There, better?”

Yeah, he did feel better. He sighed exasperatedly as a response. 

Ladybug smiled up at him. “Now, I honestly missed most of that, so I’m going to need you to start from the beginning. But before you start, I have one question for you.”

Chat winced, expecting a painful impact from her inquiry. “If you’re _not_ the guy from the gelato shop, how did you know about how I stared him down? No one else was in the store at the time. Except Adrien Agreste.” She paused, waiting for a response. Adrien paused too, physically unable to answer that question for her.

But, as it turned out, he didn’t have to. 

Thanks to The-Universe-Really-Hates-Me type of bullshit Adrien had mentioned just minutes earlier, his transformation chose that exact moment to give out. A green light slipped over him before either of them could react. Where Chat Noir once stood was now Adrien Agreste, wide-eyed like a deer in headlights and holding his exhausted kwami. 

“B-because I am Adrien Agreste?” His weak smile wavered like an old, decrepit rope bridge. 

Ladybug screamed. 

Although tired, Plagg smirked up at his charge. “Heh. Smooth.”

Adrien watched gears grinding inside his partner’s mind as she desperately tried to cope with the new information. “N-NO! NO YOU CAN’T BE HIM!” Ladybug grabbed her pigtails, looking like she was trying to pull them out of her head. “Because if you’re him, that means…” A look of horror dawned over her face. She covered her mouth with her hands and gasped. “That means I’ve kissed you.” She hunched her shoulders sheepishly and let out the most girlish giggle Adrien had ever heard. “That means _I’VE KISSED ADRIEN AGRESTE! HA!_ ”

Adrien chuckled uncomfortably along with her. “Yeah…?”

She didn’t even hear him. “And if you’re Adrien Agreste, then that means you’re Chat Noir! Which means...Chat Noir sits in front of me in class.” Her eyes widened, and so did Adrien’s. She looked up at him with a strange mix of ecstasy and fear. “That means...Adrien Agreste runs around Paris in a catsuit. And that means Chat Noir slow-danced with me that one time. And that means Adrien Agreste confessed his love to me. And that means Chat Noir went on that awful, terrible gelato date with me. And that means Adrien Agreste tried to impress me by shoving popcorn up his nose-”

Adrien rushed forward suddenly, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, okay, clearly you’re gonna need some time. Why don’t I just...go home? And we’ll figure everything out tomorrow? Take the night to think over-”

A pink light exploded right in front of him, revealing Ladybug to be none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

This time, the silence between them screamed.

Adrien stood, still holding on to her shoulders tightly. Mentally, he was running through an identical speech as the one Ladybug had just spewed out. 

_Ladybug sat behind him in class? Ladybug lived in a bakery? Ladybug designed the hat he’d modeled at the fashion show? Marinette was the guardian of all the miraculous? Marinette chose each one of their allies? Marinette was the one he’d confessed to over, and over, and over again only to be rejected?_

“Iloveyou!” It happened so quickly and Marinette’s face remained so stagnant that Adrien was sure he’d imagined it.

“W-what?” he whispered. 

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, a delicate look he’d received from both Ladybug and Marinette before graced her face. She spoke slower this time, almost painfully slow. “You, Adrien Agreste, are my best friend and my everything and I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner. I love you.”

Heh...This was a joke right?

Out of nowhere, she reached up and grabbed his head, pulling it down to her level. Adrien recognized what she was trying to do instantly. It was something he was _absolutely_ okay with. So as she moved towards him, he moved towards her. They met each other in the middle with the force of two superheroes who were much too eager to finally taste each other’s lips, resulting in what was probably the worst kiss of all time. 

It wasn’t soft, it wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t something either of them were expecting. They met so brashly that Adrien easily felt Marinette’s teeth against his own while simultaneously feeling _someone’s_ upper lip getting caught in the crossfire. Immediately they both pulled away, grimacing at the awful feeling of someone else’s teeth scraping against their own. 

“I’m sorry!” They both cried out to one another, absolutely humiliated at their first attempt to be romantic with each other. But as they stared at the other, huffs and chuckles instantly became belly laughs and gasps for breath as they collapsed in giggles on top of the Eiffel tower. 

It was only after Adrien was finally able to stabilize himself that he noticed a color that didn’t belong on Marinette’s face. His eyes widened as he grabbed her by the chin, turning her side to side to inspect the injury (apparently personal boundaries weren’t a thing anymore. Marinette didn’t even question him). 

Her lip. He’d cut her lip with his awful excuse for a kiss. But..there was something else. “Smile for me,” he commanded, much more intensely than he’d wanted to, but this was important. Marinette made a strange face, but smiled for him as he gently used his hand to wipe some of the blood off her mouth. As she did so, Adrien’s worst fears were confirmed. 

The bottom half of her front tooth was missing. He’d _chipped_ her _tooth_ because he was just _that_ desperate for some Ladybug love. How humiliating. 

Tears started pouring out of his eyes before he even had the chance to stop it. There was just _way_ too much going on tonight for him to deal with the fact that he’d physically injured the love of his life. 

Marinette reached up, grabbing his hands and holding them, imploring what was wrong with her eyes. Adrien just fell against her, holding her pathetically as he sobbed out “I chipped your tooth!!”

She just snorted, wheezed, and held him tighter. 

**************

The next day at school, Marinette walked in a few hours late, having missed the first part of the day due to an emergency dentist appointment. As she quietly rounded the corner and walked up to her desk, she slipped a small package to Adrien, complete with a note. 

He discreetly placed the box on his lap and unfolded the note quietly as to not alert anyone else to his actions. Written in beautiful, swirling font was a short message:

_They ended up taking the whole thing out and replacing it with a fake tooth. I’d be upset, except a lost tooth means a visit from the tooth fairy. Do you think I’ll wake up to find money under my pillow tomorrow?_

Adrien desperately tried to suppress the grin breaking his face, but it was futile. Inside the container she’d given him was a teeny, tiny little tooth sitting on a bed of pink silk like a ring in its jewelry box. He smiled even wider before closing it up and popping it in his pocket. 

On the back of the note, he scribbled his own message and passed it back to Marinette when Ms. Bustier wasn’t looking. The girl chuckled loudly when she read what was written, causing the duo to get yelled at for not paying attention. Thankfully, the teacher didn’t read it aloud to the class. 

Neither Marinette nor Adrien would’ve been able to explain that one. 

_M’lady, I don’t believe in the tooth fairy. But I’m sure I can pull some strings and get Chat Noir to slip you some cash. I hear he’s rich or something._

_P.S. Legend says If you leave some passion fruit gelato out, he’ll wear wings and a tutu._

**************

On the other side of Paris, a brown-eyed boy proudly presented to his class a video of Ladybug and Chat Noir admitting to the public that Chat was _not_ Chase Lavelle. Their proof? Both boys could be seen standing side by side. It was enough to convince the general public that he was, in fact, not a superhero. 

A few months later, a particularly difficult akuma attacked the city, clearly giving the super duo a run for their money. Chase sat safely in his room, eating snacks and watching the battle unfold, happy to not be a part of that chaos anymore. A sudden incessant rapping on his outside door startled him, pulling his attention away from the screen towards the balcony off his room. Standing there in the evening light were Ladybug and Chat Noir holding a tiny red and black spotted box out to him. 

Both of them had guilty looks on their faces. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely forgot to address the brown-eyed dude and how it all ended for him until the last second. Thus, the little bit tagged on at the end. The reveal also seemed really rushed tbh but I think it's on brand with the catastrophe that is the rest of the chapter (and I didn't feel like writing a serious conversation where they really come to terms with each other's identity). 
> 
> Regardless, thank you so much for reading!! Feedback is always appreciated and feel free to find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14


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